Improvement in railroad-car heaters



U NITEE STnTEs PATENT DEFIcE.

JOSEPH PORTER MIOHAELS AND LEWIS WELLS BROADWELL, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA,ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND PHILIP SIDNEY POST, OF

SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-CAR HEATERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l35,%39, dated January28, k1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH PORTER MI- cHAELs and LEwrs WELLS BRoAnwELL,

both citizens ofthe United States, but now residing in Vienna, Austria,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating andVentilating Apparatus for Railway Trains-also applicable to otherpurposes and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming part of this speciiication, and in which-Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of alocomotive-engine and its tender, in part, with our invention applied;Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section through the smokebox of theengine; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the first car of thetrain as connected with the tender with our invention applied 5 Figs. 4and 5, a longitudinal section and partial face view, respectively, of anautomatic joint used to establish tubular connection between the severalvehicles of the train. Fig.v 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of theadjacent ends of two cars in the train having our invention applied.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Our invention consists in novel means, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, for warming and ventilatin g railway cars, and fortransmitting power from the engine applicable, if desired, to workingthe brakes of the train. One object of the invention is to utilize 'thewaste heat and exhaust steam from the locomotive for warming the cars inthe train by passing the products of combustion, along .with the exhauststeam, through tubes to the rear of the train, and whereby the annoyanceto travelers from smoke and sparks is avoided. An automatic joint toestablish such tubular connections constitutes also an important featureof this invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the smoke-box of alocomotive-engine. Said smoke-box is extended downward, as shown, as isalso the exhaust-steam blastpipe B, which latter is formed with anangular portion ruiming backward, and provided at the angle or bend witha valve, l, which is operatedl by the engine-driver by means of a crankand connecting-rod c, or otherwise. The escape steam from both cylindersO C is passed by branches to the pipe B below the valve b ofthe latter.When the valve b is down or in a vertical position and a valve, d, ontop ot' the smoke-pipe D is open, then the heat or escaping products ofcombustion and exhaust steam will pass oft' or up through' the smokepipe or chimney D in the usual manner. This may be the disposition ofsaid parts when getting up steam, or at other times, as re quired. Nhen,however, the valve b is up or in a horizontal position and the'valve dof the smoke-pipe is closed, as's'hown in Figs. 1 and 2, then theescaping steam will be passed to the rear through the lower orhorizontal part of the escape-pipe B into or through the lower orhorizontal pipe E, Fig. 1, and, the valve d on top of the smoke-pipe Dbeing closed, all the waste heat and escaping products of combustionfrom the furnace will be drawn downward by the action of the escapingsteam, and be driven to the rear through the series of tubes E E1 E2 towarm the cars, as required. In case the forcing power of the escapingsteam is not sufficient to drive the escaping products of combustionthrough the whole length of the heating-tubes E E1 E2, then a fan orblower, F, driven by strap from a drum on the front axle of thelocomotive, may be used. Within the smoke-box A is arranged a dome, G,having a cylinder, H, within itand around the upright portion oftheexhaust-steam pipe B. The object of these devices is to compel the smokeand Yproducts of combustion to travel in an angular course, so that theheavier particles of coal and ashes will be arrested and caused to fallinto a receiving-chamber, I, below.

The utilization of the waste heat and products of combustion passingthrough the tubes E E1 E2 for warming the interior of the cars may bevariously accomplished-as, for instance, in either of the two followingways: First, by conducting theescaping products of combustion from themain tubes E2 directly into distributing-pipes K within the interiorofthe cars, as shown in Fig. 6; or said main tubes E2 may be surrounded,as represented in Fig. 3, by air-heating tubes J, covered with anysuitable non-conductor of heat, and into which the external atmosphereis admitted through branch openings f, Fig. 3, and, becoming heated bythe main tubes E2, passes up into the cars by pipes K', which may beperforated or provided with screens. The openings f into the tubes J areso constructed and provided with flap-valves g that the air will passequally well into the tubes J in both directions of the travel of thetrain, said valves being thrown to opposite sides of lateral openings hh according to the direction in which the train is running. Theseopenings maybe protectedby wire-gauzeto exclude dust. The sections ofheating-tubes E E1 E2 being for the most part straight, terminating, oronly as regards certainof them, in turned-up branches at their ends, andthe ends thereof being closed, either by movable caps or by theautomatic joint or coupling hereinafter described, said tubes may beeasily and quickly cleaned in case deposits of smoke or ashes shouldrender it necessary.

Each car has its independent heating devices, consisting of the maintube E2, with or without its surrounding tube J and heatdistributingpipes K or K. To each connectin g-end of the tubes E ElE2 is attachedthe onehalf L, of an automatic coupling-joint, L L, the construction andaction of which is as follows: Surrounding either around or at spiralconical spring, k, is a stron g flexible coverin g, l, secured byascrew-band at its smallest end to the tube with which such half-couplingconnects, and connected with a ange, m, at its largest end.

This ange is covered with some elastic sub.

stance, such as felt, rubber, or other suitable material, to act asapacking to the joint formed by contact of the two contiguous flanges mm of the automatic joint or coupling L L. These half-couplin gs L, beingall exactly similar, and being arranged in like longitudinal centers orlines, and equally distant from the tops of the rails, it necessarilyfollows that they cannot fail to come into proper contact when trainsare made up in the ordinary manner, and regardless of which ends of thecars come together.

The springs 7c of the half -couplings L project somewhat further thanthe buffer-heads, so that when the train is made up the flanges m comein contact, and the springs 7c are sufficiently compressed to form atight joint, yet so that they will have sufficient longitudinal play toaccommodate themselves to the continually varying distances which thecars neo essarily assume toward each other when travcling; likewiseenough lateral play to prevent the contact of the flanges m from beingbroken by the vibrating motion of the cars when traveling over an uneventrack.

Tubes thus automatically connected may also be used for Ventilatingpurposes, or advantageously employed for the transmission of steam,hydraulic, or pneumatic power, for operating brakes and other purposes.

To warm the cars when the locomotive is at rest by the means orapparatus hereinbefore described steam may be blown through thecylinders, or through a small pipe leading from the boiler to theapparatus, through which the necessary quantity of steam could beallowed to escape into the horizontal heatin g-pipes until thelocomotive is putin motion, when the temporary heating supply may bcshut oft'.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bent escape-steam pipe B, the valve b, thesmoke-box A, the valve d, and the pipe E.

2. The conical hollow buffer-coupling L L, composed of springs k,iiexiblecovering l, and padded iianges m, for automatically makingconnection between the vehicles, essentially as described.

JOSEPH PORTER MICHAELS. LEWIS WELLS BROADWELL.

Witnesses:

J osnn TAKowErz, WILLIAM HINNING.

